The fifth annual Open World Jazz Concert--an evening of jazz with Brubeck Institute musicians and visiting jazz musicians from Russia--will be held at the Empire Theater on the Miracle Mile this year. The concert starts at 8pm November 13, and will feature the renowned jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton with the Open World Jazz Quintet (OWJQ) and the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet (BIJQ).

There also will be other opportunities to hear world-class musicians play. A master class with famed pianist Benny Green, the OWJQ and BIJQ will be held at 7:30pm Nov. 4 in the Recital Hall on the Stockton campus of University of the Pacific. There will be an informal concert and jam session in The Lair on the second floor of the DeRosa University Center on the campus at 8pm Nov. 5, and another master class with Nicholas Payton and the two groups in the Recital Hall at 7:30pm on Nov. 11. The groups will also perform at 8pm Nov. 12 at JB's Lounge in the Sacramento Red Lion Inn.

This program is part of the Library of Congress' Open World Cultural Leadership Program where musicians from the United States, Eurasia and the Baltic States work together to better promote understanding between their countries and learn about their respective cultures. The program is funded by the US Congress and the National Endowment for the Arts.

“What fascinates us each year is that the visiting musicians speak little English and our musicians speak even less Russian, yet when you put them in a room together for a few hours, they all play music together, show each other new music and quickly develop an understanding of where the music is going," said Steve Anderson, director of the Brubeck Institute. “It shows that music is a common shared language that transcends cultural and political boundaries."

The Russian musicians will arrive on the Stockton campus Nov. 1 and leave on Nov. 15. This year's OWJQ includes Denis Foman, bass, Ivan Polanskiy, saxophone, Artem Yurlov, drums, and Yuliya Zolotareva, piano. The BIJQ includes Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, saxophone, Nick Frenay, trumpet, Noah Kellman, piano, Zach Brown, bass, and Corey Fonville, drums. Guest artists during the two-week residency are Benny Green, piano, and Nicholas Payton, trumpet.

The master classes on Nov. 4 and 11, the concert and jam session on Nov. 5 are all free and open to the public. The Nov. 12 concert at JBs Lounge in Sacramento is also free. The ticket prices for the Nov. 13 concert at the Empire Theater on the Miracle Mile will be announced soon. Tickets will be sold at the door.

Performance Schedule

Wednesday, November 4

• 7:30pm: Recital Hall: Free
• Public master class with Open World Jazz Quintet and the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet and guest artist, Benny Green, piano.

Thursday, November 5

• 8:00pm: The Lair: Free
• Concert & jam session with the Open World Jazz Quintet and the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet in the University Center.

Wednesday, November 11

• 7:30pm: Recital Hall: Free
• Public master class with Open World Jazz Quintet and Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet and guest artist, Nicholas Payton, trumpet.

Thursday, November 12

• 8:00pm: JB's Lounge, 1401 Arden Way (in the Red Lion Inn), Sacramento: Free
• The Open World Jazz Quintet and the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet in a club concert.

Friday, November 13

• 8:00pm: Empire Theater: Admission Charge (TBA)
• Empire Theater, 1825 Pacific Ave., Stockton
• Concert with Open World Jazz Quintet, the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet, and guest artist, trumpeter Nicholas Payton.